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A bipartisan majority of Montana state senators is asking Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, to resign his legislative seat because of sexual abuse allegations.
The letter, endorsed by at least 39 of Montana’s 50 state senators, called the allegations against Windy Boy “disqualifying for anyone holding public office.”
“We believe that the right thing for you to do for yourself personally, for the Legislature, and for your constituents is to immediately resign from your position in the Senate,” the letter states. “We do not request this of you lightly; the gravity of these allegations and the duty we have to protect the integrity of our institution and the people it serves leaves us no choice.”
As of publication, Windy Boy had not responded publicly to the letter, or to outreach from Montana Free Press seeking comment.
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Windy Boy restarts campaign for Montana’s eastern U.S. House seat
Montana State Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy has “unsuspended” his Democratic primary campaign for U.S. House representing Montana’s Eastern Congressional District, three weeks after suspending his bid amid sexual abuse allegations.
Senate leadership earlier removed Windy Boy from interim committees. His current four-year legislative term doesn’t end until December 2028.
Allegations that the long-serving Democrat sent sexually explicit photos and messages to underage girls in 2002 were raised in April by Helena attorney Brian Miller, who, like Windy Boy, is a Democratic primary candidate for Montana’s Eastern District U.S. House seat.
Windy Boy briefly paused his congressional campaign over the allegation, but reactivated the campaign May 6, saying he was the target of a political ambush. Two days later, former legislator Jen Gross, a Billings Democrat, revealed that she had filed a sexual misconduct complaint over harassing text messages sent to her by Windy Boy in 2018.
According to Associated Press reports of the 2018 incident, the report by Gross, who remained unidentified until this spring, led to Windy Boy resigning his chairmanship of a legislative committee.
Members of the Senate Ethics Committee chose not to sign today’s letter to preserve their integrity should they need to meet on the Windy Boy matter before the start of the 2027 Legislature.
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